Rail chair



June 1930- J. P. GRIFFITHS Er AL RAIL CHAIR Filed Oct. 26, 1928 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS flawed,

June 17, 1930. J; 1 GRIFFITHS El AL 1,765,265

RAIL CHAIR Filed 001'.- 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 j c v v I l d l WW W Wamt :2

Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED? STATES.

PATENT] OFFICE.

JAMES PAUL GRIFFITHS, oE DURBAN, "NATAL; sonrn AE-iaIcA, AND WILLIAMsrmaET- WILSON, DEoEAsED, E TE or DURBAN, NAT L, sown AFRICA, BY EDMUNDM. LAUGHTON AND EDMUND I-I. CLEMMANS, EXECUTORS RAIL ciiArR Applicationfiled October 26, 1928, Serial No. 315,336, and in- Union of SouthAfrica November 10,1927;

This invention relates to rail chairs primarily intendedfor railwayrails. It relates more particularly to rail chairs of the kind includinga cast steel or other metal bedplate or base plate having two raisedlugs or. upstanding projections adapted to be disposed or arranged oneon eitherside of the flange or base portion of the rail.-

The object of thepr'esent invention is to construct a rail chair of thetype above referred to which ,will serve effectively to retain the railin position and prevent both the creeping of the rail in a horizontaldirection and any vertical lift. 1

In carrying out the invention in one form we provide, a base portion orbed plate which as usual is provided with holes through which pass coachor other screws for fastening the base or bed plate to the sleeper orits equivalent. This base or bed plate, which may be made of cast steel,is constructed with two lugs or upstanding projections, one extendingconsiderably higher'than the other, and a flat part between suchprojections uponwhich the rail is arranged. t I j The higher or largerlug or proje'ctiolris rabbeted, recessed, or hollowed out in 1ts lowerportionnext the flat central portion of the chair, andsaid rabbet' orrece'ss'may be tapered or made gradually shallower from one side of thelugto' the other, and taperedor made gradually narrower from topto'bottom frornone side of the lug to the other.

The other and portion is preferably also rabbeted, recessed or hollowedout, so that the one side of the base of the rail willliein'suchrabbetor' recess. 1 The other side portion of. the baseoftherail lies opposite the rabbet inthenfirst mentioned and largerlugorprojection, and is held in position by a key or wedge which ispreferably formed with a double taper. 5;; u Between the web-ofithe'railand the face ofthe higher lug orprojection: a wedgeshaped block or.cushion of ;wo od 'orother suitable relatively soft material isinserted, the face of thelug or pro ection being suitlug or projectil lgably inclined so that the wedge bears against it along its whole length.I

The key or wedge which serves for. keep ing the rail in position on thechair is rabbeted or provided with a longitudinal recessalong its bottomedge on the side adjacent'the rail, so that the edge of the base of therail lies in said'rabbet. It is also rabbeted or provided with alongitndinalrecess along its diagonally opposite edge, and through theopening provided by said rabbet or recess passes a bolt preferablyprovided with a head. portion at right angles thereto. The head portionof the bolt is placed against the side of the lug or projection nearestthe smaller end of the wedge, and a washer and, say, a wing nut areplaced upon the other end of the bolt. The washer bears against thelarger end of the wedge, and projects for some distance beyond the same.On tightening the nut the washer acts to force the wedge into the recessformed in the lug or projection which acts tightlyto fix the rail on thechair between the wedge and'the lug or projection formed 7 If desired, along1tu'cl-inalrecess maybe formed in the higher lug or projection,and'

a bolt be inserted therein'having ahead at right anglesthereto andprovided with a nut and washer, which might serve positivelyto retainthe wooden block or cushion in posi tion; I J j In a modified form ofthe invention suit able more particularly 'for'do'uble check rails, oneof the higher lugs or projections and the wedge and woodenblock 0rcushion could be provided at either side of the chair, and-a similar lugor projection be-provid'ed centrally longitudinally of thechair betweeni the rails, and be rabbeted or hollowed at both sides to take theopposite bases-of thejtworails. 1 I In a further modified form of :the'.in-

edges of the vention, suitable more particularly for use onsubstantially level tracks, the high lugs or projections could bedispensed with, and two smaller lugs or projections be provided one oneither side of the chair with the rail resting on the chair betweenthem. In this case one of. the lugs or projections could be hollowed outorv rabbeted to take the preferably double tapered key or wedge, and

the other could be hollowed out or rabbeted to take the edge of the baseof the rail. In

this form of the invention the wedge would be provided w1th'a screwthreaded extens on ora thumb screw, or have a bolt passinglongitudinally therethrougli. Awasher on the bolt or screw threadedextension would rest against-the side of the chair preferably engagmgtherewith above and below the rabbet, and the wedge could be 7 supportthe rail through the web, and acts to prevent or minimize knocking orconcussion due to lateral, downward or upward 7 pressure, so promoting.smooth running of -rail web in section.

.the vehicles on the rails.

The bolt, thumb-screw, or equivalent, act to secure both the key and thewooden cushion or wedge in position, locking themeffectively andpreventing the possibility of their coming out of position.

7 Fig. l'is a vertical elevation of the flat foot rail chair speciallydesigned for curves and gradients. 7 7

Fig. 2 is a'plan view of Fig. 1 showing Fig. 3 is a vertical elevationof a' similar type'asFig. 1, but is designed for the double check rail.p

Fig. dis a vertical elevation of a modified type for use on levels.

' Fig; 5 is a plan-view of Fig; 4 showing rail web in section.

' As shown in Figures'l and 2 a cast base plate a is secured to thesleeper (not shown) by means of the ordinary coach screws 2'. This baseplate which, is cast has the .b and 0 cast onit. port the woodencushion7 andis hol'lowed b is carried up to supout at the base to receive thedouble rabbeted and double tapered key d, which is inserted with thethumb and finger and pushed home.

The wooden cushion 71,- is then put place,

and the bolt'e is inserted, the washer and nut.

' f adjusted which effectively prevents'thepos sibility of the key'd! orthe cushion h from withdrawing. 1 The lug .0, is caston the innertightening up the nut I c1al features of this patent.

to the chair two lugs side of the base plate, and is for gripping theinner flange of the rails.

The other side of the web 7 may be similarly gripped or alternativelythe construction shown may be employed. 'I igure'S is a similarly castchair but with the two outer lugs 19 carried up as shown, for use with acheck rail. The cast piece Z holds the flanges of both rails.

The chair of F igures' l and 5 is also similarly constructed but isintended for use on the level, for yards, sidings, etc., the lug I)being cast similarly to that of 0 but hollowed out at the base toreceive the double tapered and rabbeted key whichis effectively securedwith a screw on the end at f with washer and nut to drawing. 7 j

' It will be noted that the thumb screw or bolt and cushion areespecially new and novel in this treatment and v WVhat we claim is: r

1. 'A chair for railway rails or the like comprising a bed platehavingtwo lugs so located as to permit the placing of a rail between them, oneof said lugs adapted to engage one lateral edge of the rail flange,

the other lug having swithinfit a keyway which is double tapered towardone end thereof,'a wedge-shaped key which is double tapered incoinpleinental relation to the keyway, said key being adapted to engagewithin said keyway to coact therewith and with the other lateral edge ofthe rail flange to anchor the rail against both the first lug and thebed pl'ate. V

2. Achair for railway rails or the like prevent the possibility of itswith use, and are specomprising a bed plate having two lugs so I locatedas to permit the lowering of a rail into place between them, one of saidlugs adapted to engage one'lateral edge of ithe rail flange, the otherlug having along its inner face a rabbet, which is so shaped thatboththe width and height of said rabbet taper toward one end thereof;akey for co operative engagement with thetapered walls of the rabbet andthe adjacent lateral edge 7 of the rail-flange and means cooperatingwith the key andthe lastmentioned lug to draw the key into the rabbet toanchor the rail 3. A chair for railwayrails or the' like comprising abed plate having twolugs so located as to permit the loweringof a railbetween them, one of said lugs adapted to engage one side of the railfiange, the other lug having a substantially vertical inner 7 faceinclined 'with respect to the rail web and also having at ltSfbEISG akeywayvwhich is double, tapered toward one 12 5' end thereof; 7

a wedge-shaped key whichi'is double: tapered 1n compl'emental relationto the keyway, the s tapered sides of ada ited' to coact with each"other;'-a wedge said key and keyway being a ofcushioning materialdisposed between the rail web and said latter lug, said wedge beingtapered in the same direction as said key and complementing and coactingwith the inclined face of said lug; and means adapted to'force andsecurely hold said" key into the keyway and said wedge into wedgingposition, whereby to anchor the rail. 7

4. A chair for railway rails or the like comprising a bed plate havingtwo lugs so located as to permit the placing of a rail between them, oneof said lugs adapted to engage one side of the rail flange, the otherlug having a substantially vertical inner face inclined with respect tothe rail web and also having at its base a keyway which is doubletapered toward one end thereof; a wedge-shaped key which has a rabbetalong its upper inner edge, and is double tapered in complementalrelation to the keyway, a wedge of cushioning material disposed betweenthe rail web and'said latter lug, said wedge being tapered in the samedirection as said key and complementing and coacting with the inclinedface of said lug; and a bolt, nut and washer, the bolt extending throughsaid rabbet, the head of the bolt seating upon one side of said latterl'ug, the other end of the bolt having thereon the nut and washer, saidwasher seating upon the larger ends of both the key and the wedge,whereby when r the nut is taken up on the bolt, both the key and thewedge are forced and held into looking position and the rail is anchoredagainst both the first lug and the bed plate.

Signed at Durban in the Natal Province of the Union of South Africa, onthis the 15th day of Sept, 1928.

I J. P. GRIFFITHS.

E. M. LAUGHTON, ED. H. GLEMMANS, Ew ecutors Estate Late William.Street-Wilson.

